Wearable devices in a controlled environment

ABSTRACT

A wearable device and method for operating the wearable device in a wearable device communication system in a controlled environment is disclosed. The wearable device includes at least one module configured to customize an inmate interface on the wearable device based at least in part of an inmate profile and an administrative rule. In some embodiments, the inmate interface is a keyboard. The wearable device also includes additional modules that enable the wearable device to monitor information regarding at least one of the inmate of the wearable device and the physical environment in which the wearable device is located.

BACKGROUND Field

This disclosure relates to wearable devices having a dynamic interfaceand a method for their use within a controlled environment.

Background

In a controlled environment, such as a correctional facility or prison,administrators may provide opportunities for entertainment andcommunication to inmates through restricted access to mobile devicessuch as tablets and/or smart phones. By their nature, such mobiledevices are portable. However, because of their portability, tablets andsmart phones present issues as they may be stolen, lost, dropped, and/orotherwise easily broken. Additionally, while such devices may havecertain security mechanisms to link a mobile device to a specificinmate, such security mechanisms do not necessarily stop other inmatesfrom stealing or harming the inmate to use their mobile device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosureand, together with the description, further serve to explain theprinciples of the disclosure and to enable a person skilled in thepertinent art to make and use the embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wearable devicecommunication system, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary communication centerfor use in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wearable device foruse in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates a wearable device having an exemplary interface foruse in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates a wearable device having another exemplary interfacefor use in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4C illustrates a wearable device having another exemplary interfacefor use in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4D illustrates a wearable device having another exemplary interfacefor use in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4E illustrates a wearable device having another exemplary interfacefor use in the exemplary wearable device communication system of FIG. 1,according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a wearable device having an exemplary physicalinterface for use in the exemplary wearable device communication systemof FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a wearable device having an exemplary virtualinterface for use in the exemplary wearable device communication systemof FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A illustrates a controlled environment having distributed powerand/or network beacons, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 7B-7D illustrate a wearable device having an exemplary interfacecustomized for use in different locations of the controlled environmentof FIG. 5A, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for customizing inputinterface of a wearable device for use in the exemplary wearable devicecommunication system of FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for customizinginterface of a wearable device for use in the exemplary wearable devicecommunication system of FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for determiningwhether to allow removal of a wearable device, according to embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method of conductingsurveillance using wearable devices in the exemplary wearable devicecommunication system of FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of a general purpose computer thatmay be used to perform various aspects of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicateidentical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left mostdigit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which thereference number first appears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following Detailed Description refers to accompanying drawings toillustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with the disclosure.References in the Detailed Description to “one exemplary embodiment,”“an exemplary embodiment,” “an example exemplary embodiment,” etc.,indicate that the exemplary embodiment described may include aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every exemplaryembodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same exemplary embodiment. Further, when a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anexemplary embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in therelevant art(s) to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic inconnection with other exemplary embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed.

The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustrativepurposes, and are not limiting. Other exemplary embodiments arepossible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodimentswithin the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the DetailedDescription is not meant to limit the disclosure. Rather, the scope ofthe disclosure is defined only in accordance with the following claimsand their equivalents.

Embodiments may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuits), firmware,software, or any combination thereof. Embodiments may also beimplemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, whichmay be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readablemedium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting informationin a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing device). For example,a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); randomaccess memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media;flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms ofpropagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digitalsignals, etc.), and others. Further, firmware, software, routines,instructions may be described herein as performing certain actions.However, it should be appreciated that such descriptions are merely forconvenience and that such actions in fact result from computing devices,processors, controllers, or other devices executing the firmware,software, routines, instructions, etc. Further, any of theimplementation variations may be carried out by a general purposecomputer, as described below.

For purposes of this discussion, any reference to the term “module”shall be understood to include at least one of software, firmware, andhardware (such as one or more circuit, microchip, or device, or anycombination thereof), and any combination thereof. In addition, it willbe understood that each module may include one, or more than one,component within an actual device, and each component that forms a partof the described module may function either cooperatively orindependently of any other component forming a part of the module.Conversely, multiple modules described herein may represent a singlecomponent within an actual device. Further, components within a modulemay be in a single device or distributed among multiple devices in awired or wireless manner.

The following Detailed Description of the exemplary embodiments will sofully reveal the general nature of the disclosure that others can, byapplying knowledge of those skilled in relevant art(s), readily modifyand/or customize for various applications such exemplary embodiments,without undue experimentation, without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosure. Therefore, such modifications are intended tobe within the meaning and plurality of equivalents of the exemplaryembodiments based upon the teaching and guidance presented herein. It isto be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for thepurpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminologyor phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted bythose skilled in relevant art(s) in light of the teachings herein.

Exemplary Wearable Device Communication System

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wearable devicecommunication system 100, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, wearable device communication system100 includes communication center 110 which is configured to transmitinformation between inmate communication system 120, outsidercommunication system 130, and/or monitoring center 140. An inmate ofwearable device communication system utilizes inmate communicationsystem 120 in a number of ways including receiving wearable deviceinformation from communication center 110, transmitting wearable deviceinformation to communication center 110, and communicating with anoutside party utilizing outsider communication system 130.

In some embodiments, wearable device information includes voice calls,video calls, text messages, email messages, multimedia content (e.g.,video, music, educational programs, games), interface information (e.g.,inputs received on an input interface at inmate communication system120, outputs to be displayed on inmate communication system 120),control information, browser information, and/or application informationfrom applications stored on inmate communication system 120.

In some embodiments, inmate communication system 120 includes one ormore devices provided to inmates within a controlled environment, suchas a correctional facility, and where the one or more devices includewearable devices 121A-121C. Inmate communication system 120 can furtherinclude devices such as a companion wireless communication device 122,wireless access point 123 (e.g., gateway or router), and/or kiosk 124.In some embodiments, wearable devices 121A-121C are watches having atouchscreen interface.

The phrase “wearable devices” also refers to devices that can beinserted within an inmate's body. Such devices can be configured toprovide locator and inmate identification functionality. Such devicescan be powered by a blood battery electrolyte system.

In some embodiments, wearable devices 121A-121C have wirelesscommunication capabilities. In an embodiment, wearable device 121Acommunicates with network 101 through a connection with wirelesscommunication device 122. The communication with wireless communicationdevice 122 may be a wireless connection, such as Bluetooth™ or Wi-Ficonnections, or through a wired connection such as with a USB cable. Inan embodiment, wearable device 121B communicates with network 101through a connection with wireless access point 123. The communicationwith wireless access point 123 may be a wireless connection, such asBluetooth™ or Wi-Fi connections. In an embodiment, wearable device 121Ccommunicates with network 101 through a connection with kiosk 128. Thecommunication with kiosk 128 may be a wireless connection, such asBluetooth™ or Wi-Fi connections. Wireless communication device 122 canbe implemented as any mobile device such as, but not limited to, asmartphone, a tablet, or a laptop device.

Inmate communication system 120 connects to communication center 110 vianetwork 101, which may include any or all of a Local-Area Network (LAN),a Wide-Area Network (WAN), or the Internet, depending on the location ofcommunication center 110 in relation to inmate communication system 120.For example, network 101 is implemented as a LAN when communicationcenter 110 and inmate communication system 120 are both located at acontrolled environment. In another example, network 101 is implementedas a WAN or the Internet when communication center 110 is located at adifferent location than inmate communication system 120.

Outsider communication system 130 is communicatively coupled tocommunication center 110 and includes one or more devices available tooutsiders to the controlled environment and includes any and allcommunications devices such as a wireless communication device 131and/or computer station 132. In an embodiment, outside communicationsystem 130 may be located within the controlled environment, such as ina designated area or room of the controlled environment. In anotherembodiment, outside communication system 130 may be located outside ofthe controlled environment such as in the outsider's home. Outsidercommunication system 130 connects to communication center 110 vianetwork 103, which may include any or all of a WAN, the Internet, and/ora Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The WAN may facilitatecommunications with other nearby prisons, such as those within the samecounty, state, etc.

In an embodiment, wearable device communication system 100 also includesmonitoring center 140 for monitoring wearable devices 121A-121C withinwearable device communication system 100. Monitoring of wearable devices121A-121C includes but is not limited to monitoring user inputs, theuser interface being displayed, and communications to and from wearabledevices 121A-121C. Moreover, monitoring by monitoring center 140 canoccur both automatically and manually (e.g., initiated a reviewer).Monitoring center 140 receives communications and data fromcommunication center 110 via network 105, which may include any or allof a LAN, a WAN, or the Internet. Monitoring center 140 receiveswearable device information related to interactions and communicationsinvolving all devices including wearable devices 121A-121C in wearabledevice communication system 100 through communication center 110.Monitoring center 140 may store and/or analyze the received interactionsand communications. Monitoring center 140 may further provideinstructions to devices in wearable device communication system 100based on the analysis performed on the received interactions andcommunications.

In some embodiments, the wearable device information includes but is notlimited to an audio stream, a video stream, actions performed by theusers on their wearable device, content viewed by users through theirwearable device, data, such as biometric data, regarding the wearer ofeach wearable device, and/or content requested by users through theirwearable device. Based on this wearable device information, monitoringcenter may provide instructions to affect certain functionality of thewearable devices. Such instructions include but are not limited tomodifying a dynamic user interface of the wearable device, modifying thecontent that may be viewed or utilized by the inmate, and/ortransmitting communications to be output to the inmate through thewearable devices.

In some embodiments, a dynamic user interface is a graphical userinterface that is adapted based on any number of conditions includingbut not limited to a user's typing history, applications, location ofthe wearable device, and administrative rules provided by authorizedpersonnel of the controlled environment. Modifying the dynamic userinterface includes providing different input interfaces through whichthe inmate may provide input for applications on the wearable device.For example, wearable devices with touchscreen displays such as wearabledevices 121A-121C may have different keyboards and/or interfaces basedon different applications or locations within the controlledenvironment. Modifying the dynamic user interface of the wearable devicemay include selecting a different keyboard for use by the user based,but are not limited to, different applications, preferences of the user,and/or location of the wearable device within the controlledenvironment.

In some embodiments, modifying the dynamic user interface includesadjusting the content that can be accessed on a wearable device. Forexample, monitoring center 140 may send a control signal to any ofwearable devices 121A-121C based on a context of the wearable devices121A-121C. The control signal may cause wearable devices 121A-121C todisplay only certain applications and to display certain applications asnot being accessible. Contexts can include but are not limited todifferent applications, preferences of the user, and/or location of thewearable device within the controlled environment.

The authorized content is any content authorized to be provided toand/or utilized by one of wearable devices 121A-121C. For example,authorized content includes a list of accessible websites, games,multimedia content, applications such as a word processing application,a text messaging application, a video conference application, and amultimedia application.

In an embodiment, content is authorized on an individual basis (i.e.,applies only to a specific user or users and/or specific wearabledevices based on, for example, the profile information) or on a globalbasis (i.e., applies to all wearable devices in wearable devicecommunication system 100 through communication center 110). Monitoringcenter 140 can modify user profiles to include information thatindicates the content for which users and/or wearable devices areauthorized and not authorized. For global restrictions, monitoringcenter 140 can send information that indicates the content that isauthorized and not authorized for all users of wearable devicecommunication system 100.

Exemplary Communication Center

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of communication center 200,according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In an embodiment,communication center 200 represents an exemplary embodiment ofcommunication center 110 of FIG. 1. Communication center 200 includesbut is not limited to processing subsystem 210 and database 222.Processing subsystem 210 includes one or more processors, computers, orservers identified as subsystems and can be constructed as individualphysical hardware devices, or as virtual devices, such as a virtualserver. The number of processing subsystems can be scaled to match thenumber of simultaneous user connections desired to be supported by anwearable device communication system such as wearable devicecommunication system 100 of FIG. 1. Processing subsystem 210 includesbut is not limited to communication subsystem 212, profile subsystem,214, authentication subsystem 216, content subsystem 218, andsurveillance subsystem 220.

In an embodiment, communication subsystem 212 controls the routing ofcommunications to an end destination such as one or more wearabledevices within inmate communication system 120, one or more deviceswithin outsider communication system 130, or monitoring center 140.Communication subsystem 212 performs switching required to electricallyconnect the one or more devices within inmate communication system 120and one or more devices within outsider communication system 130.Further, communication subsystem 212 logs communication information,including time of communications and parties involved in thecommunications, and stores the logs and communications as files. Thefiles stored by communication subsystem 212 can be stored indefinitelyfor use by monitoring center 140 in monitoring and investigation of aninmate and/or communication. Communication subsystem 212 also determineswhether a communication should be monitored such that privilegedcommunications such as attorney/client, doctor/client, or investigativecommunications are not monitored. Criteria for monitoring acommunication may be based on jurisdictional requirements and/oridentities of the parties.

In an embodiment, communication subsystem 212 is configured to receivecontact information such as a phone number, email address, internetprotocol address or other identifying data of the users of a wearabledevice. The received contact information may be used by each of thesubsystems of the communication center 200 for identifying respectivedata and processes related to the contact information, such as purportedidentities of parties involved in the communication.

Because there may be a variety of different communication standardsemployed by wearable devices, in some embodiments, communicationsubsystem 212 is also configured to perform format conversion ofnon-real time communications. Conversion of incoming and outgoingcommunications are performed, as needed, to be compatible with inmatecommunication device 120, outsider communication device 130, ormonitoring center 140. The format conversion includes conversion ofincoming communications and outgoing communications to be compatiblewith inmate communication system 120 or the monitoring center 130.Further, because communication subsystem 212 receives and transmitscommunications by way of a network, in an exemplary embodiment,communication subsystem 212 is configured to decrypt receivedcommunications and encrypt transmitting communications, for securitypurposes.

Wearable device profile subsystem 214 obtains and stores profileinformation on parties registered to use wearable devices andcommunicate via wearable device communication system 100. In anembodiment, profile subsystem 214 stores inmate profiles and outsiderprofiles. Profile subsystem 214 obtains information related to theparties from one or more of (a) a jail management system (JMS) or anoffender management system (OMS) operated by the jurisdiction of thecorrectional facility, (b) public database containing information on theparties, or (c) a questionnaire provided by a web page, a personalapproved number (PAN) list, or booking information. Information obtainedby wearable device profile subsystem 214 may include personalinformation such as previous residences or correctional facilities,authorized contacts, family members, languages, special needs,medication requirements, etc.

In some embodiments, wearable device profile subsystem 214 alsoperfoinis a registration process for those parties not enrolled orregistered to use wearable device communication system 100. During theregistration process, or at a later time, wearable device profilesubsystem 214 determines accommodations and settings associated with aparty and/or a party is able to select preferred settings for acommunication. These accommodations and settings include, but are notlimited to, preferences of each user of wearable device communicationsystem 100, such as favorite websites, purchased content, and/orpreferences for applications. Profile information can also include auser's medical history which could be utilized in medical applications,applications authorized to be used by the user, applications restrictedfrom use by the user, and a user's typing history such as mostfrequently used words and most frequently used letters.

In an embodiment, wearable device profile subsystem 214 also receivesauthorization information indicating content that is authorized and notauthorized for each profile. The information may be received from amonitoring system such as monitoring center 140 as illustrated inFIG. 1. Profile subsystem 214 can store the authorization informationinternally or in database 222. If the information is specific to a useror user(s), wearable device profile system 214 can also store theinformation as part of the user or user(s) profile(s). The authorizationinformation is used to customize the interfaces of wearable device 300by limiting or allowing access to the content by users of wearabledevice 300.

In an embodiment, wearable device profile subsystem 214 also includesadministrator preferences provided by an administrator of wearabledevice communication system 100, such as a designated employee of thecontrolled environment. Administrator rules allow and restrict actionsthat can be performed within wearable device communication system 100.Administrator rules have higher priority than the preferences specifiedin the user profiles. In an embodiment, administrator preferencesinclude global preferences that influence all users of wearable devicesand inmate-specific preferences that only apply to specific inmates.

Administrator rules generally limit or allow actions that can beperformed by users when using wearable devices. For example, theadministrator can restrict all inmates and outsiders from accessingwebsites deemed to be inappropriate or certain applications and/orspecify specific websites or applications that may be accessed whileusing wearable devices. Administrator rules can also specify allowableapplications in specific areas in the controlled environment andrestricted applications in specific areas in the controlled environment.As discussed above, an administrator can implement such restrictions ona global (all inmates of wearable devices) or inmate-specific basis.

In an embodiment, profiles in wearable device profile subsystem 214controls content that is available to users for use on their wearabledevices based on authorization information indicating authorized contentand unauthorized content and administrator rules. The authorizationinformation can be specific to a user or user(s) and/or applied globallyto all users of wearable devices. Authorization information can indicatethat a user or user(s) are not allowed to access certain content, suchas websites, games, and/or applications, while using a wearable device.For example, if a user's profile indicates that the user is not allowedto access certain applications in a certain location of the controlledenvironment, the user would be prevented from being presented thatinformation when the user and the wearable device are determined to bewithin the certain location.

In an embodiment, authentication subsystem 216 collects and storesidentity data of inmates and outsiders authorized to access wearabledevice communication system 100. Identity data includes but is notlimited to at least one of a username and password data, challengequestions, challenge answers, biometric data, device data such as makeand model of a communication device, and/or location data. Biometricdata includes one or more of a finger print, a hand print, a voicesample, an iris or retinal sample, an image of the user (2D or 3D), ahand geometry, a signature identification, an infrared cameraidentification, or any other biometric as deemed appropriate. Thechallenge question form of identity data may be a series of challengequestions, or a single challenge question such as the last four digitsof an inmate's social security number, mother's maiden name, and thelike. Authentication subsystem 216 is further configured to facilitate asecure communication between parties receiving/transmitting acommunication by performing identity verifications to authenticateidentities of purported parties. The identity verification includeslogon verifications, such as username and password verifications,biometric verification, response to challenge questions, deviceverification, and/or location verification.

In an embodiment, authentication subsystem 216 tracks a user's biometricinformation from wearable devices. Authentication subsystem 216 canutilize the tracked biometric information to authenticate the user ofthe wearable devices. For example, when an inmate is issued a wearabledevice, the inmate's biometric information may be associated with thespecific wearable device. Biometric information can include but is notlimited to heart rate information, oxygen levels, fingerprintinformation, and/or voice information. In this manner, the monitoringcenter may passively authenticate users of wearable devices to ensurethat the users are allowed to use their wearable devices. Authenticationsubsystem 216 can also, with the permission of the wearer of thewearable device, transmit biometric information to a doctor forparticipation in a remote telemedicine program where the doctor canattempt to diagnose or otherwise assist the wearer with medical advice.

In addition to biometric information, authentication subsystem 216 canalso perform identity verification by receiving identity informationsuch as one or more of a username and password, a response to achallenge question(s), a keypad or touch pad entry, a voice sample, afingerprint sample, a retinal sample, a facial image (2D or 3D), deviceinformation such as a make and model of the communication device, and/ora location of the communication device, from a communication device(such as a device of inmate communication system 120 or outsidercommunication system 130) and comparing the identity information of thepurported party with stored identity data that is associated with awearable device. Authentication subsystem 216 also uses the collectedinformation to register users of wearable device communication system100.

In some embodiments, authentication subsystem 216 also storesadministrative rules that control how content can be displayed onwearable devices in wearable device communication system 100. As notedabove, administrative rules allow authorized personnel to controlactions performed and communications transmitted within wearable devicecommunication system 100. Administrative rules can be provided by andstored in monitoring center 140. Administrative rules allow forauthorized personnel associated with the controlled environment toremotely control functionality of the wearable device including thedynamic user interface and operations of components of the wearabledevice. Administrative rules specify authorized functions that may beperformed by a wearable device including the specific operations ofcomponents of the wearable device. Examples of authorized functionsinclude, but are not limited to, displaying dynamic user interfaces,displaying available applications, video recording (e.g., for videocalls), audio recording, access to applications, and/or activating asurveillance mode such as biometric surveillance or environmentalsurveillance.

In some embodiments, an administrative rule can also specify whichcomponents of the wearable device are allowed to function. For example,authorized personnel can push or otherwise transmit a rule to deactivatethe video module of a user who is using the camera of the wearabledevice for inappropriate purposes. In some embodiments, functionality ofwearable devices can be configured to operate with correspondingadministrative rules. For example, a controlled environment mayestablish an administrative rule that prevents all wearable devices fromallowing inmates to access any applications while inmates are walkingbetween areas in the controlled environment. Administrative rules canalso contain identifiers that allow wearable devices to verify that theadministrative rules are from authorized personnel of the controlledenvironment and prevent unauthorized rules from modifying the interfacesof the wearable devices.

Content subsystem 218 is responsible for retrieving and routing contentto and from inmate communication system 120 such as wearable devices121A-121C. Content subsystem 218 can be implemented as any number ofservers, and is configured to facilitate the provision of content (e.g.,games, applications, multimedia, emails, web) to inmate communicationsystem 120. In some embodiments, content subsystem 218 retrieves contentfrom a content source such as database 222, which is located incommunication center 200. In other embodiments, database 222 may belocated in monitoring center 140 or distributed between communicationcenter 200 and monitoring center 140. All content that can be providedwithin wearable communication system 100 is pre-screened andauthenticated by the controlled environment, such as throughcommunication center 200. Content subsystem 218 is configured to receiverequests identifying content to be provided to inmate communicationsystem 120.

In some embodiments, surveillance subsystem 220 consists of any numberof servers, and manages and facilitates communications betweensubsystems of communication center 200 and devices external to thecommunication center, such as any device within inmate communicationsystem 120 and outsider communication system 130. Surveillance subsystem220 is responsible for receiving surveillance information from wearabledevices 121A-121C. Surveillance information can detected by certainmodules of each wearable device and includes but is not limited to auser's biometric information and environmental conditions of the user'scurrent environment. Environmental conditions include audio informationdetected by a microphone of a wearable device and video informationdetected by a camera of the wearable device. Surveillance subsystem 220receives surveillance information from wearable devices and can providethe surveillance information to a monitoring center for storage andanalysis.

In some embodiments, surveillance subsystem 220 also enablessurveillance capability by allowing for monitoring center 140 toremotely activate wearable devices 121A-121C. Surveillance capabilityincludes but is not limited to performing surveillance of users ofwearable devices and performing surveillance of current conditions ofthe controlled environment in which the wearable devices aredistributed. For example, surveillance of users of wearable devicesincludes monitoring a user's biometric information (e.g., heart rate,oxygen levels, and/or temperature) such as through a biometric module inthe wearable device and/or monitoring a user's interactions with hiswearable device.

Surveillance of the controlled environment includes activating amicrophone and/or camera of the wearable device to record currentconditions of the controlled environment. Monitoring center 140 mayreceive the recorded information for analysis. In this manner,monitoring center 140 can utilize wearable devices to monitor and viewthe current physical surroundings of all users in wearable devicecommunication system 100. Any and all information from any of wearabledevices could be routed to monitoring center 140 through communicationcenter 200.

In an embodiment, surveillance subsystem 220 can correlate surveillanceinformation with stored profiles of the user(s). Surveillance subsystem220 can store the surveillance information in database 222 and associatethe surveillance information, such as a user's biometric information ora user's recorded conversation, with the user's profile in database 222and/or wearable device profile subsystem 214. The user's profile, whenstoring the user's biometric information, may include the user's medicalhistory which can be utilized when the user starts a medicalapplication, such as a telemedicine application, on a wearable device toallow a doctor, who may be located at a remote location, to examine theuser's information to perform a limited diagnosis or assist the userwith certain medical actions, such as injection of medicine using aneedless jet syringe applicator associated with the medical application.

Database 222 consists of any number of databases and/or servers, andstores and organizes data in a relational database. Database 222 runs adatabase management system, such as MYSQL™, to provide an example.Database 222 includes approved content that can be provided to users ofinmate communication system 120 while using a wearable device. Database222 also includes organized data such that respective identity data,authentication data, jurisdictional requirements and rules, and settingsthat are indexed and linked to allow access to data for each of theparties involved in a communication and data associated with each of theparties.

Exemplary Wearable Device

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of wearable device 300, according toembodiments of the present disclosure. Wearable device 300 may be anexemplary embodiment of any of wearable devices 121A-121C as illustratedin FIG. 1. In an embodiment, wearable device 300 includes positionmodule 310, processor circuitry 320, communication interfaces 330,display 340, locking module 350, and input/output circuitry 360, whichall may be communicatively coupled to each other.

Position module 310 provides location functionality that allows wearabledevice 300 to receive and provide location-related information. In someembodiments, position module 310 includes GPS module 311. Positionmodule can provide location information, such as GPS coordinates, to amonitoring center, such as monitoring center 140. The monitoring centermay then utilize the GPS coordinates to determine the location and/orspecific room within the controlled environment in which wearable device300 is located. Position module 310 may also include indoor positioningsystems (IPS) technology, accelerometers, and/or gyroscopes to determineposition and motion of wearable device 300.

Processor circuitry 320 includes one or more processors 321, circuitry,and/or logic configured to control the overall operation ofcommunication device 300, including the operation of position module310, communication interfaces 330, display 340, locking module 350, andinput/output modules 360. Processor circuitry 321 further includesmemory 322 to store data and instructions. Memory 322 may be anywell-known volatile and/or non-volatile memory that is removable and/ornon-removable.

Communication interfaces 330 include one or more transceivers,transmitters, and/or receivers that communicate via a wirelessinterface, such as through one or more antennas 322, or a wiredinterface, such as through a USB cable. For example, communicationinterface 330 includes a component, such as a Bluetooth transceiver,that enables Bluetooth communication between wearable device 300 and anexternal device that also has Bluetooth capability, such as asmartphone, a tablet, a wireless headset, and/or wireless earbuds. In anembodiment, communication interfaces 330 are configured to transmit andreceive communications between an inmate and an outsider via network 101and network 103, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In an embodiment,communication interfaces 330 connect wearable device 300 with otherdevices such as a mobile device, a kiosk, an access point, a beacon,and/or external input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, camera, ortouch interface.

Display 340 is a component for displaying content to a user. In someembodiments, display 340 is a touchscreen and receives touch inputs froma user of wearable device 300. In some embodiments, display 340 can alsoinclude a holographic projector 341 for projecting content onto anexternal surface such as a table or a user's foreaiiii. In someembodiments, content displayed on display 340 and content projected byholographic projector 341 are different and can interact with eachother. For example, content displayed on display 340 can be a textwindow that displays messages sent, messages received, and messagesdrafted while content projected by holographic projector 341 can be akeyboard that interacts with the text window on display 340.

Locking module 350 is a component that prevents users of wearabledevices from removing the wearable devices. In some embodiments,wearable devices are permanently attached to users. Permanently attachedmeans that the user of the wearable device cannot remove the wearabledevice under any condition. For example, the user is an inmate and thecontrolled environment is a prison. Only authorized personnel such as anadministrator of the controlled environment may remove a permanentlyattached wearable device. In some embodiments, authorized personnel canremotely send a signal (e.g., over a network) to locking module 350 tounlock the wearable device. In some embodiments, authorized personneluse a physical device that transmits a signal when in certain proximityto the wearable device to locking module 350 to unlock the wearabledevice.

In some embodiments, wearable devices are semi-peimanently attached tousers. Semi-permanently attached means that the user of the wearabledevice can remove the wearable device but only under certain conditions.For example, locking module 350 may provide a timer functionality whichkeeps the wearable device locked for a specific period of time (e.g.,for 10 hours) or a specific period of the day (e.g., between 7:00 AM and10:00 PM).

In some embodiments, wearable devices do not include locking module 350.In such embodiments, wearable devices are not locked and may be removedat the discretion of their users.

In an embodiment, wearable device 300 includes integrated input/outputcircuitry 360 which includes audio module 361, gesture module 362,beacon module 363, power module 364, surveillance module 365, videomodule(s) 366, authentication module(s) 367, user interface module 368,and biometric module 369. Audio module 361 can include circuitry forreceiving and transmitting audio such as a microphone and speakers.

Gesture module 362 can include circuitry for receiving touch gesturesreceived on display 340 and translating the touch gestures to commandsand/or instructions for controlling wearable devices. For example, atouch gesture received in the context of a text application may betranslated to a specific letter. Gesture module 362 may perform thetranslation and issue an instruction for displaying the specific letteron display 340.

Beacon module 363 can include circuitry for communicating with accesspoints (or beacons) distributed in various locations of the controlledenvironment. Beacons and their functionality are discussed in furtherdetail with respect to FIGS. 7A-7D. Power module 364 can includecircuitry for providing power to wearable device 300. For example, powermodule 364 can be implemented as a rechargeable battery. In someembodiments, power module 364 is a wireless rechargeable battery whichcan be recharged through a variety of methods including inductivecharging and radio-frequency (RF) charging. Inductive charging includespower module 364 receiving electromagnetic fields and converting thereceived electromagnetic fields into energy to charge or power wearabledevice 300. For example, wearable device 300 having a power module 364that is charged through inductive charging may be placed on an inductivecharging pad. RF charging includes power module 364 receiving signalssuch as radio-frequency signals and converting the signals into powerfor use by wearable device 300. In some embodiments, such as whenwearable device is inserted into a body of the user, power module 364can be a blood battery electrolyte module that relies on electrolytes inthe blood to generate power for wearable device 300. In someembodiments, power module 364 is a rechargeable battery that is chargedthrough a physical connection to wearable device 300. For example, acharging cable or connector that is connected to a power outlet can beattached to wearable device 300 that supplies a charge to power module364.

Surveillance module 365 can include circuitry that enables remoteactivation and remote control of the surveillance functionality ofwearable device 300 (e.g., a surveillance mode). For example, whenreceiving an appropriate signal from a monitoring center and/orauthorized personnel such as through communication interface 330,surveillance module 365 activates the appropriate components of wearabledevice for conducting the requested surveillance. For example, theauthorized personnel may request that wearable device 300 beginrecording audio. Based on the request, surveillance module 365 canactivate audio module 361 which can include a microphone and initiaterecording of ambient sounds from the surrounding physical environmentbased on the received signal from authorized personnel. Conversely, thesignal to begin surveillance may be provided through wearable device 300such as through a gesture or command from a user of wearable device 300.For example, the user may initiate a biometric surveillance feature suchas recording the user's heart rate or oxygen levels through anapplication on wearable device 300. In response, surveillance module 365may activate biometric module 369 and begin recording the requestedbiometric information of the user. Moreover, in some embodiments,surveillance module 365 can operate in the background without providingany indication to the user of the wearable device that surveillancefunctionality has been activated. In some embodiments, the monitoringcenter activates the surveillance mode which results in activating theappropriate modules as a group as discussed above. In some embodiments,the monitoring center can activate individual modules, such as audiomodule 361 or biometric module 369, separately. Surveillance module 365can also include circuitry that enables remote deactivation of thesurveillance functionality of wearable device 300. In some embodiments,monitoring center and/or authorized personnel can send a signal toremotely deactivate the surveillance mode, which results in deactivatingcorresponding modules as a group, or can send a signal that remotelydeactivates individual modules.

Video module(s) 366 can include circuitry for receiving and transmittingvideo such as a camera. The camera is utilized for capturing visualinformation regarding the physical environment being viewed by a user ofwearable device 300. Information from the camera is provided tocommunication center for processing by communication center 220.

Authentication module 367 can include circuitry for ensuring that theuser of the wearable device is allowed to use wearable device.Authentication module 367 can utilize username/password, voicesignatures, fingerprints, retinal or iris information, and facialinformation to verify the identity of the user. For example,authentication module 367 can interact with audio module 361 to receivea user's voice information, video module 366 to receive a user's iris orfacial infoirnation, and/or biometric module 369 to receive a user'sheartbeat or fingerprint information. Authentication module 367 can alsoinclude circuitry for verifying commands or instructions received fromauthorized personnel.

User interface module 368 can include circuitry for controlling dynamicuser interfaces displayed by wearable device 300 on display 340 and/orby holographic projector 341. User interface module 368 can customizeand modify dynamic user interfaces based on a user of wearable device300, the location of wearable device 300, and based on signals receivedfrom authorized personnel. User interface module 368 is responsible forthe dynamic user interface of wearable device 300. As will be discussedfurther below with respect to FIGS. 4A-4D and FIGS. 7A-7D, the userinterface of wearable device 300 dynamically adapts based on userinformation, wearable device location, and any other information such asadministrator rules. Accordingly, user interface module 368 provides adynamic user interface for wearable device 300.

Biometric module 369 can include circuitry for receiving and trackingbiometric information from a user of wearable device 300 such as a heartrate monitor, oxygen level detector, and fingerprint detector. Biometricinformation may be provided to authentication subsystem 216 forprocessing.

Exemplary Wearable Device Operation

Exemplary usage of wearable device 300 in a controlled environment willbe described with respect to FIGS. 4A-4D, 5, and 6. The exemplary usagedescribed in FIGS. 4A-4D, 5, and 6 can be performed by processing logicthat can comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic,programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructionsexecuting on a processing device), or a combination thereof. Forillustrative purposes, FIGS. 4A-4D, 5, and 6 are described with respectto FIGS. 1-3 but are not limited to these example embodiments. Forexample, FIGS. 4A-4D, 5, and 6 is described with respect to wearabledevice 300 of FIG. 3 but may apply to any of wearable devices 121A-121Cof FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A illustrates exemplary wearable device 400A which includes apower button 401, a scroll/select mechanism 402, and a display 403.Scroll/select mechanism 402 can be used as a physical mechanism forcontrolling a dynamic user interface on display 403. For example,scroll/select mechanism 402 can be implemented as a wheel that a usercan rotate up and down. In some embodiments, rotating scroll/selectmechanism 402 upward moves a cursor up within the dynamic userinterface. Similarly, rotating scroll/select mechanism 402 downwardmoves a cursor down within the dynamic user interface. In someembodiments, scroll/select mechanism 402 may also be a button that canbe depressed to activate a context-sensitive command (e.g., to select ahighlighted icon or link).

Display 403 is a capacitive or resistive touchscreen display that iscapable of receiving touch inputs from a user's finger and/or touchimplement such as a stylus. In some embodiments, display 403 displays aninput interface 404A such as a keyboard that allows a user of wearabledevice 400A to input information. Input interface 404A may comprise anynumber of software icons that correspond to inputs that may be selectedby a user. For example, when implemented as a keyboard, input interface404A displays alphanumeric keys. Wearable device 400A may adjust adisplay setting, a configuration setting, and the input type of inputinterface 404A based on a number of factors including a user profileand/or administrative rules. Examples of a display setting include butare not limited to colors and size of the software keys or letters ofinput interface 404A. An example of a configuration setting include butnot limited to the layout of input interface 404A . The layout of inputinterface 404A includes arrangement of the software keys and letters.Examples of input types include keyboards and gesture areas as will bediscussed in further detail with regard to FIGS. 4B-4D.

FIG. 4B illustrates exemplary wearable device 400B having display 403displaying input interface 404B. Software keys of input interface 404Bhas been customized to display an emphasized letter 405B that the userwishes to select. In some embodiments, a user of wearable device 400Bselects the “F” of input interface 404B by performing three successiveshort presses of software key 405. In some embodiments, a short press isa touch of a predetermined period of time (e.g., less than 2 seconds).In some embodiments, the time between each successive short press is asecond predetermined period of time (e.g., less than 2 seconds). A firstshort press of software key 405A selects “D”; a second short press ofsoftware key 405A within a predetermined period of time after the firstshort press selects “E”; and a third short press of software key 405Awithin a predetermined period of time after the second short pressselects “F.” In some embodiments, each short press of software key 405Aresults in displaying emphasized letter 405B. User of wearable device400B may send the displayed emphasized letter 405B (e.g., “E”) to anapplication (e.g., messaging application) by long pressing software key405.

FIG. 4C illustrates exemplary wearable device 400C having display 403display input interface 404C. Input interface 404C has a differentdisplay setting and a different configuration setting than inputinterface 404A. A component of wearable device 400C, such as userinterface module 368, can modify display and configuration settings ofinput interface 404C based on a user profile the current applicationdisplayed on display 403, and/or a context of wearable device 400C. Forexample, wearable device 400C can have access to a user's mostfrequently used phrases or letters based on the user's history withwearable device. This user information can be stored in user interfacemodule 368 and/or in wearable profile device subsystem 214 ofcommunication center 200. For example, if user starts an application,wearable device 400C may retrieve the user profile which containsinformation regarding the user's typing habits such as the user's typinghistory and the user's most used phrases and letters. In someembodiments, the user profile can also include information thatassociates the user information with applications of wearable device400C. For example, the user profile can store a user's typing habits inan messaging application, the user's typing habits in a browsingapplication, and the user's typing habits in a telephone application.Accordingly, in some embodiments, when the user starts a messagingapplication, wearable device 400C may adjust a configuration settingsuch as an arrangement of the letters of input interface 404C toemphasize the user's most used letters 407A-407H for the messagingapplication. In this manner, input interface 404C provides a dynamicinterface that changes based on the user's habits, user's preferences,and the application in which the user is currently interacting. Forexample, the user profile may indicate that the user types “How are you”frequently in a messaging application and wearable device 400C maycustomize input interface 404C to emphasize each letter 407A-407H of thefrequently used phrase. In another application, the user profile couldindicate another most frequently used phrase, and input interface 404Ccould dynamically change the configuration of the alphanumeric keysbased on the user profile.

Wearable device 400C may also adjust a display setting such as boldingthe first letter of each software key to emphasize the user's most usedletters 407A-407H for the messaging application. In other embodiments,wearable device 400C may customize settings of the input interface 404Cbased on a context of wearable device 400C. Context can include but isnot limited to a location, a certain mode, and/or a signal received froma communication center.

FIG. 4D illustrates exemplary wearable device 400D having display 403display input interface 404D. Input interface 404D can include a gesturearea 408 for receiving touch input from a user of wearable device 400D.Input interface 404D has a different input type than input interfaces404A-C. The user can provide touch gestures in gesture area 408. Acomponent of wearable device 400D, such as gesture module 362,translates gestures received through gesture area 408 into acorresponding command or instruction, such as a specific lettercorresponding to the touch gesture. For example, gesture module 362translates a circular motion received in gesture area 408 into theletter “O.” In some embodiments, gestures are associated with theparticular application currently displayed on display 403. For example,gesture module 362 translate the circulation motion into the letter “O”for a messaging application but into a command for repeating a song in amedia application.

FIG. 5 illustrates exemplary wearable device 500 which includes a powerbutton 501, a scroll/select mechanism 502, and a display 503.Scroll/select mechanism 502 operates similarly to scroll/selectmechanism 402 as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 4A-4D. Display503 may situated on a sliding mechanism (not shown) that allows a useror wearable device 500 to move display 503 a predetermined distanceupward. Physical keyboard 504 can be situated underneath display 503such that physical keyboard 504 is revealed when display 503 is movedupward the predetermined distance upward. Physical keyboard 504 can beimplemented having any number of physical keys that allows the user toprovide inputs to applications on wearable device 500. In someembodiments, physical keyboard 504 can be implemented as a QWERTY stylekeyboard.

FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary wearable device 600 which includes powerbutton 601, a scroll/select mechanism 602, display 603, and holographicprojector 604. In some embodiments, holographic projector 604 projects avirtual keyboard 605 onto a surface external to wearable device 600 suchas the user's forearm. Holographic projector 604 also includes afingertip detector for detecting and determining a position of theuser's fingertip in relation to the virtual keyboard 605.. Based ondetermining the user's fingertip position, a component of wearabledevice 600, such as user interface module 368, translates the fingertipposition into a corresponding command, such as a specific letter ofvirtual keyboard 605. User interface module 368 can then send thetranslated command to an application for an appropriate action, such asdisplaying the specific letter on display 603.

Exemplary System Operation

Exemplary usage of wearable device communication system 100 in acontrolled environment will be described with respect to FIGS. 7A-7D and8-11, according to some embodiments. The exemplary usage described inFIGS. 7A-7D can be performed by processing logic that can comprisehardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic,microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executing on a processingdevice), or a combination thereof. For illustrative purposes, FIGS.7A-7D are described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 but are not limited tothese example embodiments. For example, FIGS. 7A-7D is described withrespect to wearable device 300 but may apply to any of wearable devices121A-121C.

FIGS. 7A-7D depict various dynamic user interfaces of wearable device300 based on a location within a controlled environment 700. FIG. 7Adepicts an exemplary embodiment of a controlled environment 700. In someembodiments, controlled environment 700 includes beacons or accesspoints 701A-701E. Beacons 701A-701E are distributed throughoutcontrolled environment 700 and provide several functions to wearabledevices within controlled environment 700. Functions include but are notlimited to wireless networking, radio-frequency waves for providingpower, and/or location determination. In some embodiments, controlledenvironment 700 also includes dining hall 702, commissary 703, library704, cell block 705, exercise yard 706, and hallway 707. In someembodiments, there is a beacon in each area of controlled environment700 such as beacon 701A in cell block 705, beacon 701B in dining hall702, beacon 701C in library 704, beacon 701D in commissary 703, beacon701E in exercise yard 706, and beacon 701F in hallway 707. Each beacon701A-701F can act as an access point and provide a wireless networkconnection to any wearable devices located in the same area as beacon701A-701F.

FIG. 7B depicts an exemplary embodiment of controlled environment 700with a wearable device 710 located near beacon 701A in cell block 705.In some embodiments, applications 711A-711G are displayed on display 711of wearable device 710 based on wearable device 710 being located withincell block 705. For example, beacon 701A detects wearable device 710 andprovides information regarding wearable device 710, such as wearabledevice 710′s location in cell block 705, to a monitoring center, such asmonitoring center 140. Wearable device 710 may customize functionalitybased on its location such as through beacon module 363 or based on aremote signal from a monitoring center. The remote signal can be basedon any number of factors including a user profile of the user ofwearable device 700, the location of wearable device 700, a certain timeof day, and/or administrator's preferences. Examples of customizingfunctionality include providing certain applications that can beaccessed through display 711 of wearable device 710. In someembodiments, controlled environment is a prison, a user is an inmate ofthe prison, and a user profile is an inmate profile.

For example, wearable device 710 in cell block 705 permits a user toaccess applications 711A-711G. This permission can be based on anynumber of factors including but not limited to the user's profile and/oradministrative rules associated with the user and/or area of controlledenvironment 700. In some embodiments, a user's profile indicates theapplications to which the user has access through a wearable device.Wearable device 710 can first verify that any administrative rules areauthentic (e.g., received from authorized personnel of controlledenvironment 700). For example, wearable device 710 can confirm thatadministrative rules have an appropriate signature or decrypt theadministrative rules using a private key provided to wearable device 710by controlled environment 710. In some embodiments, administrative rulesindicate the applications that are allowed for a particular user and/orin a particular area of controlled environment 700. For example, anadministrative rule can indicate that all applications are accessiblewhen wearable device 710 is located within cell block 705. This rule canbe applied to a particular user or all users. Based on theadministrative rule for cell block 705, a component in wearable device710, such as user interface module 363, can modify the dynamic userinterface to allow a user access to the available applications. Theadministrative rule can be specific to the user of wearable device 710or can be applied to all users. For example, one user may allowed to useall available applications while in his cell block while another usermay be restricted to only certain applications while in his cell block.

FIG. 7C depicts an exemplary embodiment of controlled environment 700with a wearable device 710A located near beacon 701F in hallway 707 andwearable device 710B located near beacon 701E in exercise yard. Based onuser profiles for the users of wearable devices 710A and 710B and/oradministrative rules associated with the areas of controlled environment700, wearable devices 710A and 710B determine that its users are notallowed to access any applications. Accordingly, a component of wearabledevices 710A and 710B, such as user interface module 363, modifies theapplications 711A-711G on display 711 such that a user cannot select anyapplication while wearable devices 710A and 710B are determined to stilllocated in hallway 707 and exercise yard 706, respectively. For example,wearable devices 710A and 710B may remove applications from beingdisplayed or grey out applications to indicate that the applications arenot available.

FIG. 7D depicts an exemplary embodiment of controlled environment 700with a wearable device 710C located near beacon 701C in library 704 anda wearable device 710D located near beacon 701D in commissary 703. Basedon user profiles for the users of wearable devices 710C and 710D and/oradministrative rules associated with the users and/or particularlocations, wearable devices 710C and 710D modify the applications thatcan be selected by their respective users. For example, based on a userprofile for the user of wearable device 710C and/or administrative rulesassociated with the user and/or library 704, wearable device 710Cdetermines that only “Education” application 711G is accessible whilewearable device 710C is located in library 704. Based on thisdetermination, wearable device 710C modifies the dynamic user interfaceto allow user to only select “Education” application 711G and preventthe user from selecting other applications 711A-F. For example, wearabledevice 710C may grey out applications 711A-F to indicate that theapplications are not available for selection.

Based on a user profile for the user of wearable device 710D and/oradministrative rules associated with the user and/or commissary 703,wearable device 710D determines that only the “Order” application 711Dis accessible while wearable device 710D is located in commissary 703.Based on this determination, wearable device 710D modifies the dynamicuser interface to allow user to only select “Order” application 711D andprevent the user from selecting other applications 711A-C and 711E-G.For example, wearable device 710D may grey out applications 711A-C and711E-G to indicate that the applications are not available forselection.

Operations of operating wearable devices in a controlled environmentwill be described with respect to FIGS. 8-11. Although the physicaldevices and components that form the system have largely already beendescribed, additional details regarding their more nuanced operationwill be described below. The exemplary operations described in FIGS.8-11 can be performed by processing logic that can comprise hardware(e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.),software (e.g., instructions executing on a processing device), or acombination thereof. For illustrative purposes, FIGS. 8-11 are describedwith respect to FIGS. 1-3 but are not limited to these exampleembodiments. While FIGS. 811 contain methods of operation for wearabledevices in wearable device communication system 100, the operations arenot limited to the order described below, and various operations can beperfouned in a different order. Further, two or more operations of eachmethod can be performed simultaneously with each other.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method 800 for customizingan input interface on a wearable device, such as wearable device 300 ofFIG. 3 or wearable device 400A of FIG. 4A, according to embodiments ofthe present disclosure. Method 800 can be performed by processing logicthat can comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic,programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructionsexecuting on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It is to beappreciated that not all steps may be needed to perform the disclosureprovided herein. Further, some of the steps may be perfolinedsimultaneously, or in a different order than shown in FIG. 8, as will beunderstood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

In 801, wearable device 300 retrieves user information, such as a userprofile, and administrative rules. The user information can be theuser's profile which can be located in wearable device profile subsystem214. For example, the user information can specify the user's typinghabits, typing history, most frequently used letters, most frequentlyused phrases, and/or applications authorized to be used by the user. Theadministrative rules control authorized functions that can be performedby wearable device 300 as specified by authorized personnel of thecontrolled environment and can be retrieved from authenticationsubsystem 216. For example, administrative rules can allow or restrictcertain interfaces based on a specific user or all users and/or based ona location of wearable device 300. In some embodiments, retrievingadministrative rules includes verifying that the administrative rulesare from an authorized source, such as a monitoring center of a prison.

In some embodiments, wearable device 300 downloads administrative rulesat predetermined times (e.g., 3:00 AM) or at predetermined intervals(e.g., every day). Wearable device 300 can store downloadedadministrative rules in memory, such as memory 322. In addition, oralternatively, wearable device 300 can download administrative rules asneeded. For example, wearable device 300 can download the appropriateadministrative rule (if any), when wearable device 300 detects itslocation in a certain area of the controlled environment. In someembodiments, the administrative rules can be pushed to wearable device300 at the discretion of the controlled environment. In someembodiments, wearable device 300 may be provided to users with baseadministrative rules already pre-loaded into memory 322. These baseadministrative rules can specific basic functions that can be performedby wearable device 300. Additional authorized functions can be addedlater through the additional administrative rules provided to wearabledevice 300.

In 802, wearable device 300 determines whether it is necessary to detectthe application currently being used by the user and displayed ondisplay 340. This determination is based on the retrieved userinformation and/or the retrieved administrative rules. For example, theretrieved user information can specify the user's preference that avirtual keyboard be customized based on the type of application so thatthe user may have a different virtual keyboard for differentapplications. If yes, in 803, wearable device 300 determines the currentapplication being used by the user. If no, in 804, wearable device 300determines whether it is necessary to detect its location within aspecific area of the controlled environment. This determination is basedon the retrieved user information and/or the retrieved administrativerules. The location detection can be based on the wearable device's 300proximity to a beacon, based on GPS coordinates, or a combinationthereof. If yes, in 805, wearable device 300 determines its currentlocation. Alternatively, wearable device 300 may receive locationinformation from a monitoring center, such as monitoring center 140. In805, wearable device 300 displays an customized input interface based onthe user information, administrative rules, and if applicable, thedetected location of wearable device 300 and the current application.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method 900 for customizingapplications wearable device, such as wearable device 300 of FIG. 3 orwearable device 400A of FIG. 4A, according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Method 900 can be performed by processing logic that cancomprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic,microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executing on a processingdevice), or a combination thereof It is to be appreciated that not allsteps may be needed to perform the disclosure provided herein. Further,some of the steps may be performed simultaneously, or in a differentorder than shown in FIG. 9, as will be understood by a person ofordinary skill in the art.

In 901, wearable device 300 retrieves user information, such as a userprofile, and administrative rules. As previously discussed, the userinformation can be included in the user's profile and the administrativerules control authorized functions of wearable device 300 as specifiedby authorized personnel which allow or restrict access to certainfeatures of wearable device 300. For example, administrative rules canallow or restrict a specific user's access to certain applications,allow or restrict all users' access to certain applications, and allowand/or restrict access, of either a specific user or all users, tocertain applications in certain locations of the controlled environment.In some embodiments, retrieving administrative rules includes verifyingthat the administrative rules are from an authorized source, such as amonitoring center of a prison.

In 902, wearable device 300 determines whether it is necessary to detectthe location of wearable device 300. This determination is based on theretrieved user information and/or the retrieved administrative rules.For example, a retrieved administrative rule can specifylocation-specific functionality of wearable device 300 such as access orrestricted access to certain applications. If yes, in 903, wearabledevice 300 detects its location. Location detection features arediscussed above with respect to FIG. 8. In 904, wearable devicecustomizes the applications that can be accessed by the user based onthe user information, the administrative rules and, if applicable, thelocation of wearable device 300.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method 1000 for removal ofwearable device, such as wearable device 300 of FIG. 3 or wearabledevice 400A of FIG. 4A, from a user according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Method 1000 can be performed by processing logicthat can comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic,programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructionsexecuting on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It is to beappreciated that not all steps may be needed to perform the disclosureprovided herein. Further, some of the steps may be performedsimultaneously, or in a different order than shown in FIG. 10, as willbe understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

In 1001, wearable device 300 detects an attempt by the user to removewearable device 300. Wearable device 300 can transmit a signalindicating the removal attempt to monitoring center 140. In 1002,wearable device 300 determines whether it is classified as a permanentwearable. As discussed above, a permanent wearable is a wearable devicethat cannot be removed by the user of the wearable device and ispermanently attached to the user unless removed by authorized personnelof the controlled environment. If yes, wearable device 300 determineswhether any administrative command is detected. An administrativecommand can include but is not limited to a remote signal that isreceived over a network or a signal from a physical device locatedproximate to wearable device 300 (e.g., an RF key fob). If there is noadministrative command, locking module 350 of wearable device 300 doesnot allow the user to remove wearable device 300 at 1008. If there is anadministrative command, locking module 350 allows the user to removewearable device 300 at 1007.

If wearable device 300 is not permanent, then wearable device 300 isconsidered to be a semi-permanent wearable at 1004. In a controlledenvironment, wearable devices are not generally allowed to be removed bythe users (e.g., inmates) within the controlled environment.Accordingly, in some embodiments, wearable device 300 is eitherpermanently or semi-permanently attached to the user. In 1005, wearabledevice 300 next deteimines whether a locking timer has elapsed. Alocking timer indicates a predetermined time in which wearable device300 must be attached to the user. For example, a locking timer thatspecifies 10 hours indicates that wearable device 300 must be attachedto the user for 10 hours before wearable device 300 can be removed. Insome embodiments, an administrator or monitoring center can remotely seta specific time for the locking timer of each wearable device in thecontrolled environment.

If the timer has elapsed, wearable device 300 next deteiiiiines whetherit is located in an approved location at 1006. For example, users can berestricted to removing wearable devices only in certain locations suchas the user's specific cell block. Approved locations can be specifiedin the user's profile and/or by an administrative rule. If the lockingtimer has elapsed and wearable device 300 is located in an approvedlocation, then wearable device 300 allows the user to remove wearabledevice 300 at 1007. If neither condition is met, locking module 350 ofwearable device 300 does not allow the user to remove wearable device300 at 1008.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method 1100 for activatinga surveillance mode for a wearable device, such as wearable device 300of FIG. 3 or wearable device 400A of FIG. 4A, according to embodimentsof the present disclosure. Method 1100 can be performed by processinglogic that can comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic,programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructionsexecuting on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It is to beappreciated that not all steps may be needed to perform the disclosureprovided herein. Further, some of the steps may be performedsimultaneously, or in a different order than shown in FIG. 11, as willbe understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

In 1101, an administrative computer, such as monitoring center 140,selects at least one wearable device within the controlled environment.The administrative computer can allow for selection of the wearabledevice through a dynamic user interface that displays all wearabledevices within the controlled environment as icons in the dynamic userinterface. In some embodiments, authorized personnel can select eachwearable device by clicking on the corresponding icon. In someembodiments, selection of wearable devices may be accomplished throughadministrative rules. Monitoring center 140 may push or otherwisetransmit administrative rules that automatically trigger surveillancemodes based on certain conditions as determined by wearable devices. Forexample, an administrative rule can specify that a wearable deviceassociated with a user, who is known to have a heart or medicalcondition, of the controlled environment should activate a biometricmode of the wearable device when the wearable device (and therefore theuser) is determined to be in the exercise yard. As another example, anadministrative rule can specify that a wearable device associated withanother user, who is suspected to be discussing illegal activity withfellow users, should activate an environmental mode to record ambientsounds, when the wearable device is determined to be near other wearabledevices or in the dining area.

In 1102, the administrative computer remotely activates a particularsurveillance mode in the selected wearable deices. In some embodiments,as discussed above, remotely activating wearable devices includes thetransmission of appropriate administrative rules that control thesurveillance modes of the selected wearable devices. In someembodiments, surveillance mode includes but is not limited to biometricsurveillance of the user and environmental surveillance. Biometricsurveillance includes activating components of wearable device 300, suchas surveillance module 365 and biometric module 369, for monitoring,recording, and transmitting biometric information of the user. Biometricsurveillance includes but is not limited to monitoring heart rateinformation, oxygen levels, and temperature of the user. Wearable device300 can then transmit biometric information to a remote application,such as a telemedicine application located at a monitoring center.Environmental surveillance includes activating components of wearabledevice 300, such as audio module 361, surveillance module 365, and videomodule 366, for monitoring, recording, and transmitting environmentalinformation surrounding wearable device 300. Environmental surveillanceincludes but is not limited to audio recordings, video recordings, and atemperature of the area of controlled environment in which wearabledevice 300 is located.

In 1103, the administrative computer receives surveillance informationfrom the selected wearable devices depending on the activatedsurveillance mode. For example, the administrative computer will receivebiometric information regarding users of selected wearable devices ifbiometric surveillance is activated and/or environmental informationregarding a physical environment surrounding the selected wearabledevices if environmental surveillance mode is activated. In 1104, theadministrative computer stores the received surveillance information ina database, such as in database 222. Surveillance information may thenbe later analyzed by software, by authorized personnel, or used tomonitor the controlled environment. In some embodiments, the storedbiometric information may be transmitted to another external party suchas a doctor which would allow the user to receive remote diagnosis basedon his biometric information. In some embodiments, the administrativecomputer may then deactivate the mode which results in deactivating themodules. Alternatively, wearable device 300 may continue operating withthe modules activated.

Exemplary Computer Implementation

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) thatvarious elements and features of the present disclosure, as describedherein, can be implemented in hardware using analog and/or digitalcircuits, in software, through the execution of computer instructions byone or more general purpose or special-purpose processors, or as acombination of hardware and software.

The following description of a general purpose computer system isprovided for the sake of completeness. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be implemented in hardware, or as a combination ofsoftware and hardware. Consequently, embodiments of the disclosure maybe implemented in the environment of a computer system or otherprocessing system. For example, the methods of FIGS. 8-11 can beimplemented in the environment of one or more computer systems or otherprocessing systems. An example of such a computer system 1200 is shownin FIG. 12. One or more of the modules depicted in the previous figurescan be at least partially implemented on one or more distinct computersystems 1200.

Computer system 1200 includes one or more processors, such as processor1204.

Processor 1204 can be a special purpose or a general purpose digitalsignal processor. Processor 1204 is connected to a communicationinfrastructure 1202 (for example, a bus or network). Various softwareimplementations are described in terms of this exemplary computersystem. After reading this description, it will become apparent to aperson skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosureusing other computer systems and/or computer architectures.

Computer system 1200 also includes a main memory 1206, preferably randomaccess memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 1208.Secondary memory 1208 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 1210and/or a removable storage drive 1212, representing a floppy disk drive,a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, or the like. Removablestorage drive 1212 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit1216 in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit 1216 represents afloppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, or the like, which is read byand written to by removable storage drive 1212. As will be appreciatedby persons skilled in the relevant art(s), removable storage unit 1216includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computersoftware and/or data.

In alternative implementations, secondary memory 1208 may include othersimilar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to beloaded into computer system 1200. Such means may include, for example, aremovable storage unit 1218 and an interface 1214. Examples of suchmeans may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such asthat found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as anEPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, a thumb drive and USB port, andother removable storage units 1218 and interfaces 1214 which allowsoftware and data to be transferred from removable storage unit 1218 tocomputer system 1200.

Computer system 1200 may also include a communications interface 1220.Communications interface 1220 allows software and data to be transferredbetween computer system 1200 and external devices. Examples ofcommunications interface 1220 may include a modem, a network interface(such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot andcard, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface1220 are in the form of signals which may be electronic,electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being received bycommunications interface 1220. These signals are provided tocommunications interface 1220 via a communications path 1222.Communications path 1222 carries signals and may be implemented usingwire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RFlink and other communications channels.

As used herein, the terms “computer program medium” and “computerreadable medium” are used to generally refer to tangible storage mediasuch as removable storage units 1216 and 1218 or a hard disk installedin hard disk drive 1210. These computer program products are means forproviding software to computer system 1200.

Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored inmain memory 1206 and/or secondary memory 1208. Computer programs mayalso be received via communications interface 1220. Such computerprograms, when executed, enable the computer system 1200 to implementthe present disclosure as discussed herein. In particular, the computerprograms, when executed, enable processor 1204 to implement theprocesses of the present disclosure, such as any of the methodsdescribed herein. Accordingly, such computer programs representcontrollers of the computer system 1200. Where the disclosure isimplemented using software, the software may be stored in a computerprogram product and loaded into computer system 1200 using removablestorage drive 1212, interface 1214, or communications interface 1220.

In another embodiment, features of the disclosure are implementedprimarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components such asapplication-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and gate arrays.Implementation of a hardware state machine so as to perform thefunctions described herein will also be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art(s).

CONCLUSION

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and notthe Abstract section, is intended to be used to interpret the claims.The Abstract section may set forth one or more, but not all exemplaryembodiments, and thus, is not intended to limit the disclosure and theappended claims in any way.

The disclosure has been described above with the aid of functionalbuilding blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functionsand relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional buildingblocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of thedescription. Alternate boundaries may be def_(i)ned so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) that variouschanges in form and detail can be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure should notbe limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a wearabledevice, an inmate profile that includes information regarding a dynamicuser interface of the wearable device; receiving, by the wearabledevice, an administrative rule that specifies a restriction regarding anauthorized function of the wearable device; verifying that theadministrative rule is received from an authorized source associatedwith a controlled environment; and performing an authorized functionbased at least on the inmate profile and the administrative rule,wherein the authorized function includes: customizing a setting of thedynamic user interface of the wearable device based on the inmateprofile and the administrative rule; and displaying the dynamic userinterface based at least in part on the customized setting.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the authorized function further comprisesactivating at least one component of the wearable device.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the dynamic user interface includes a graphicalkeyboard, wherein the customizing the setting of the dynamic userinterface comprises adjusting at least one of an arrangement ofalphanumeric letters of the virtual keyboard or a display setting of thegraphical keyboard.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic userinterface includes the display of applications specified by the inmateprofile.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the restriction comprises alist of restricted applications, wherein the customizing the setting ofthe interface comprises restricting access to certain applications ofthe applications specified by the inmate profile based on the list ofrestricted applications..
 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:detei mining a location of the wearable device within the controlledenvironment wherein the display of applications is based at least inpart on the location.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorizedfunction further comprises activating a surveillance mode of thewearable device.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the surveillance modeis a biometric surveillance mode and the method further comprises:monitoring, by the wearable device, biometric information that includesat least one of heart rate information, oxygen information, andtemperature information.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein thesurveillance mode is an environmental surveillance mode and the methodfurther comprises: monitoring, by the wearable device, environmentalinformation that includes at least one of audio information and videoinformation regarding a controlled environment.
 10. A wearable device,comprising: a position module configured to provide position informationof the wearable device, wherein the position information identifies alocation of the wearable device within a controlled environment; asurveillance module configured to activate a surveillance mode of thewearable device; a user interface module configured to customize adynamic user interface of the wearable device based at least in part onan inmate profile and an administrative rule; and a processor configuredto: receive the dynamic inmate profile, wherein the inmate profileincludes information regarding the user interface of the wearabledevice; receive the administrative rule, wherein the administrative rulespecifies a restriction regarding an authorized function of the wearabledevice; instruct the inmate interface module to perform the authorizedfunction, wherein the authorized function comprises customizing thesetting of the dynamic user interface; and displaying the dynamic userinterface based at least in part on the customized setting.
 11. Thewearable device of claim 10, further comprising: a locking moduleconfigured to lock the wearable device.
 12. The wearable device of claim10, further comprising: a gesture module configured to receive touchinput and translate the touch input into a command that controls theuser interface.
 13. The wearable device of claim 10, wherein the dynamicuser interface includes a graphical keyboard.
 14. The wearable device ofclaim 13, wherein the inmate interface module is further configured toadjust at least one of an arrangement of alphanumeric letters of thevirtual keyboard or a display setting of the graphical keyboard.
 15. Thewearable device of claim 10, wherein the authorized function furthercomprises causing the surveillance module to activate a surveillancemode of the wearable device.
 16. The wearable device of claim 15,wherein the activated surveillance mode is a biometric surveillance modeand the wearable device further comprises: a biometric module configuredto monitor biometric information, wherein biometric metric informationincludes at least one of heart rate information, oxygen information, andtemperature information.
 17. The wearable device of claim 15, whereinthe activated surveillance mode is an environmental surveillance modeand the wearable device further comprises: a biometric module configuredto monitor environmental information, wherein environmental informationincludes at least one of audio information and video informationregarding a controlled environment.
 18. A method, comprising: providing,by a wearable device, a position location of the wearable device;receiving, by the wearable device from an authorized source associatedwith a controlled environment, an interface instruction for controllingan operation of the wearable device; performing an authorized functionbased at least on the interface instruction, wherein the authorizedfunction comprises customizing a dynamic user interface of the wearabledevice; monitoring interface information of the customized interface,wherein the interface information comprises an input to the customizeddynamic user interface; and transmitting the monitored information. 19.The method of claim 19, the interface instruction is received from amonitoring center associated with the controlled environment.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, wherein customizing the dynamic user interface ofthe wearable device comprises adjusting a setting of the dynamic userinterface, wherein the dynamic user interface includes a graphicalkeyboard.